Empty the reservoir at least two times a day, even if it's not full. You may need to empty it more than twice if it gets full. Change the dressing around the wound at least once a day, or more often if it becomes soaked or dirty. “Milk” the tubing every four hours while you are awake.
A mild amount of drainage from the incision is normal. If the drainage fluid is thin, watery, and pinkish red, there is likely nothing to be concerned about. However, there are instances in which you should be concerned about drainage from your incision.
Most drains are removed one to three weeks after surgery. If they stay in longer than three weeks, the risk of infection increases.
While serous or serosanguineous drainage is normal in small amounts, call your surgeon or healthcare provider if the drainage is profuse or persists for longer than 72 hours.
Some drainage is normal after surgery, but it can be hard to tell whether drainage is a sign of infection or just fluid. If you have drainage coming from your incision, call your surgeon right away. It is far better to call and find out that there's no need to worry than to ignore something that could become serious.
Wound drainage is the result of the blood vessels dilating during the early stages of healing. This is possibly because certain bacteria are present at the time. Your body is creating a moist environment around the wound in an attempt to heal itself.
The reason for leaving the drain tubes in is to decrease ti chance of fluid collection (seroma). However, leaving the tubes in too long can increase the chance of infection at the tune sites and potentially into deeper space.
Removing drains too soon may result in fluid buildup, seroma, and the need for fluid aspiration and/or a second surgery. Generally speaking, most patients who require tummy tuck drains are able to have them removed after about 1 – 3 weeks.
The drained fluid is collected into a dressing, bag, or container. You should see the drainage decrease after you go home, and you may see it change color. You should be shown how to empty the drain before you are discharged, and you should ask if you need to measure the drainage.
You may shower after you have had the drain in place for 48 hours, after you have removed your outer surgical dressing (if you have one), or if you do not have an outer dressing. – To keep your drain in place in the shower, attach it to a lanyard or shoelace looped loosely around your neck.
When you first get the drain, the fluid will be bloody. It will change colour from red to pink to a light yellow or clear as the wound heals and the fluid starts to go away. Your doctor may give you information on when you no longer need the drain and when it will be removed.
Sometimes there may be contamination or sub-clinical infection of the drain itself, which can cause persistent drainage. Removal of the drain is sometimes all that is necessary in this situation, but as often as not, another drain will need to be reinserted.
Removing surgical drains can be painful. Currently, there is no evidence to predict which patients may experience greater pain than others.
Then further dressing may be needed to protect the wound until it heals, which is usually within two weeks. But it is very important to follow all the instructions you're given.
– Is drain removal painful? Patients may experience a pulling or pressure sensation, however there is generally no pain experienced during drain removal. Drain removal takes only a few seconds. The stitch securing the drain in place is first removed followed by gentle removal of the drainage tube.
Answer: Not necessary to stitch close drain incisions
It isn't necessary to stitch close the incisions where the drains are inserted because they are very small and heal well on their own.
To remove the drain, remove any visible tape that may be securing the tubing to your skin or dressing. Gently pull the plastic tubing out. There may be slight discomfort but the tube should pull out easily. You should leave the rest of the bandage intact unless the physician has instructed you otherwise.
Besides slow draining water, standing water is a primary telltale sign of a drain clog. The clog creates a tight blockage inside the pipe where no water passes. Unlike slow-to-drain water, standing water stays inside the bathtub or shower and doesn't move. Standing water is often unclean.
Evidence indicates that if a wound is not allowed to drain freely, blood, body fluids, pus, and necrotic material will collect in the wound, providing a growth medium for microorganisms. Surgical wound drainage is recognized as a key element in facilitating the healing process.
Serous drainage is composed mainly of plasma. It is often thin and watery and will usually have a clear to yellowish or brownish appearance. Small amounts of serous drainage are normal during the first stages of healing.
Dressings made with gelling fibers such as CMC or chitosan form a gel that can prevent lateral movement of fluid that can protect periwound skin. Another technique is to use a thicker and more absorbent version of the current dressing, or change to a dressing which has a greater fluid capacity.
It is normal to have a little bit of drainage after the drain has removed. The skin wound will need a few days to fully close and until that happens some fluid can leak. However, there should not be a large amount of drainage, nor bright red blood. If this happens, go see your surgeon immediately.
Using standard aseptic technique, clean around the site and remove any sutures. Pinching the edges of the skin together, rotate tubing from side to side gently to loosen, then remove the drain using a smooth, but fast, continuous traction.
You may shower 48 hours after your drain is removed. If you have more than one drain, you cannot shower until the last drain has been out for 48 hours.